Game Day: What Football Fans Need to Know

A smoke-free campus will welcome UCF football fans for the first time on Saturday. Fans attending the Knights’ home opener likely will notice few other changes in game-day policies from last year.

The campus and all parking lots and garages will open at 8 a.m. for game-day activities and Family Weekend events. Kickoff for the game between the Knights and Florida International University will be at 4 p.m. at Bright House Networks Stadium.

Before the game, fans can learn about UCF’s academic programs by attending College Open Houses[1] between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Activities during this Family Weekend[1] tradition will include music performances, a free-throw shooting contest and a mini-lecture on medieval humor.

This fall, UCF joined hundreds of colleges and universities around the nation that have a tobacco and/or smoke-free policy in place. UCF’s new smoke-free policy applies to visitors as well as students, staff and faculty members, vendors and others while on university-owned or leased properties. The policy was put into motion last year to encourage healthy lifestyles and change the university community’s behavior so that everyone’s right to clean air is respected.

The http://www.ucf.edu/smokefree[2] website has FAQs and information about smoking-cessation classes and resources for the campus community and visitors.

More information on UCF’s game-day policies, including parking maps, is available at www.UCFGameDay.com[3].

Great Seats Available: Tickets can be purchased by calling the UCF Athletics Ticket Office at 407-823-1000 or going to www.UCFAthletics.com[4]. Students can purchase season tickets to guarantee admission to every home game or visit the student ticket registration website at www.KnightTickets.com prior to each home game. Student registration for the home opener runs through Wednesday, Sept. 12.

Game Day Promotions: In addition to being part of Family Weekend, Saturday’s game will be Knights for Youth Day and Knights for Scouts Day. Knights for Youth Day activities will be held from noon to 3 p.m. in IOA Plaza west of Bright House Networks Stadium, and they will include sports drills with UCF student-athletes, inflatable games and face painting.

Arrive Early to Support Your Knights: The stadium gates will open at 2:30 p.m. Make sure you leave enough time to get to your seats by kickoff. Students should use gates 7 through 9 to enter the stadium.

Game Day Fan Help Desk: Fans with questions about game days can call 407-882-FANS (3267) beginning at 8 a.m. on home game days. Inside the stadium, fans can send a text message to “69050” and type “UCF” followed by a brief description of the issue and its location in the stadium. Ushers, public safety or first-aid personnel, or other event staff will respond as needed.

Where Should I Park? Parking is divided into three zones — Gold, Red and Blue. The Gold Zone[5], closest to Bright House Networks Stadium, requires a reserved game day parking permit and is only for members of the Golden Knights Club, credentialed media, stadium operations personnel and patrons with disabilities.

Almost all parking in the Red Zone[6] and Blue Zone[7] is free and open to everyone. The first two levels of Garage B, located across from the Recreation and Wellness Center, are reserved for official university business. Garage H near the FAIRWINDS Alumni Center will be reserved for authorized students displaying Student Government Association-provided parking passes and cash-paying customers ($20). Proceeds support student scholarships.

Parking for fans with disabilities[8] is available on the first floor of Garage D across from the UCF Arena. A free shuttle for patrons with disabilities will be provided from Garage D to Bright House Networks Stadium (Gate 13) from 2 p.m. until two hours after the game ends.

Parking is not allowed along any campus roadways, in residential housing parking lots or garages, or on any open grassy areas throughout campus (except for designated E lots in the stadium area).

Where and When Can I Tailgate? Tailgating is permitted in campus parking lots and open areas, but it is not allowed in any parking garage. For all campus tailgating areas, the open-container waiver (alcohol consumption) will go into effect at 8 a.m. and end at kickoff. Anyone possessing or consuming alcohol must be prepared to show proof that he or she is 21 or older. Campus parking lots will close for game day activities two hours after the game.

Protect Yourself From the Heat: Fans should drink plenty of water or sports drinks, and limit alcohol consumption, to ensure they are replacing essential fluids lost due to the heat. Consider wearing sunscreen, a hat and loose-fitting clothes. First-aid stations are on the main concourse near gates 10 and 18 inside the stadium, and the American Red Cross will have aid stations on Memory Mall.

Below is a rundown of what fans coming to the home opener should know. For more details on game day policies, visit www.UCFGameDay.com[9].

Leave Glass Bottles and Pets at Home: Fans are not permitted to bring glass containers, kegs or beer funnels on campus. Animals, except for service animals, are not allowed on campus on game days. Excessively loud or amplified sound systems also are not permitted.

Game Day Towing: Any vehicle parked in the Gold Zone without a valid game day permit is subject to towing as early as 5 a.m. Saturday. The Gold Zone includes surface parking lots C 1-2, D 1-2 and E 1-8, as well as garages C, D and F. This does not apply to Towers residents who have permits to park in Garages E and G. They are allowed to remain in their spaces. Vehicles on the first two levels of Garage B or in parking lot B7 also are subject to towing as early as 5 a.m. Saturday. For a map of parking lots on campus, go to http://parking.ucf.edu/files/2011/07/2011-Parking-Map.pdf[10].

Free Student Shuttles: UCF will operate free shuttles for students to and from several nearby apartment complexes from 11 a.m. until two hours after the game ends. The on-campus shuttle routes (Black and Gold routes) will not be operating on game days.

Free Park-and-Ride: Fans are invited to park at the Research Pavilion in the Research Park adjacent to campus and ride free shuttles that will continuously transport passengers from the Research Pavilion to the on-campus Health & Public Affairs stop at Lot C1. Game day service will be available from 2 p.m. until two hours after the game ends.

Courtesy Tram: Courtesy tram services will be available for guests needing assistance to the ADA Shuttle Bus pick-up/drop-off point at Garage D. This courtesy tram will operate around Apollo Circle with passenger pick-up/drop-off at designated locations only. The ADA Shuttle Bus will provide further transportation to Bright House Networks Stadium (Gate 13) for those patrons with disabilities desiring to use this free service. Click here[11] for more information and a map of the stops.

UCF Alumni Association Pregame Party: Fans can chow down and watch NCAA football games inside the FAIRWINDS Alumni Center from 1 to 3 p.m. Admission is free for fans with UCF Alumni membership cards and their guests. Chicago Bears wide receiver Brandon Marshall and former New York Giants wide receiver Darcy Johnson, both of whom played for UCF, will be signing autographs from 1 to 1:30 p.m. For more information and to RSVP, visit www.ucfalumni.com/tailgate.